What Shortage of STEM Workers?

Reihan Salam – Contrasting Rubio Vs. Skerry

“My latest column for Reuters Opinion is on comprehensive immigration reform. After making the case that immigration is best understand as a core economic policy issue, I try to address the thorny issue of what the U.S. ought to do about America’s large population of unauthorized immigrants,” says Reihan Salam of National Review.

“I contrast Sen. Marco Rubio’s call for allowing unauthorized immigrants to regularize their status and to eventually apply to become permanent residents with Peter Skerry’s notion of barring unauthorized immigrants from attaining citizenship while allowing them to become ‘permanent non-citizen residents.’”

Obamacare Plans Subsidize Immigrants, Not Americans

“Governors who reject health insurance for the poor under the federal health care overhaul could wind up in a politically awkward position on immigration: A quirk in the law means some U.S. citizens would be forced to go without coverage, while legal immigrants residing in the same state could still get it,” the Huffington Post says.

“Arizona officials called attention to the problem last week, when Republican Gov. Jan Brewer opted to accept the Medicaid expansion. Brewer had been a leading opponent of the overhaul, and her decision got widespread attention. State budget documents cited the immigration glitch as one of her reasons. ‘If Arizona does not expand, for poor Arizonans below (the federal poverty line), only legal immigrants, but not citizens, would be eligible for subsidies,’ the documents said.”

Economic Claims on More Immigration Don’t Hold Up

“Look, if you want open immigration so you can procure cheap, docile landscapers for your McMansion, just say so. But to claim that the economy ‘can’t grow without immigration’ is the kind of thing even PolitiFact would give three Pinocchios to (or however they do it). Real per capita GDP grew by 150 percent from 1925, when the immigration cutoff went into effect, to 1965, when Ted Kennedy gave us the basics of the system we have today — and that includes the Great Depression,” notes CIS Executive Director Mark Krikorian.

Sen. Moran Ready With New High Skilled Immigration Bill

“Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) on Tuesday said he hopes legislation aimed at retaining foreign-born engineers and graduates with advanced technical degrees won’t be held “hostage” in the political battle over comprehensive immigration reform,” The Hill reports.

“Moran said he plans to introduce an updated version of his Startup Act 2.0 this month, which includes a provision that would create a new visa allowing foreign students who graduate with a master’s or Ph.D. in engineering, science or math fields from a U.S. university to get a green card.”

What Shortage of STEM Workers?

“Why does the United States demand that some students who come to the United States to be trained in technical fields go back to their native countries? That was one of the issues explored by President Barack Obama in his inaugural address Monday,” VOA News says.

“‘When we admit people on student visas, the terms of the visa is that you come to the United States, you get your education and you go back,’ said Ira Mehlman, Media Director for FAIR, the Federation for American Immigration Reform.”

“‘What we are doing by letting them remain in the United States is simply creating more competition for a lot of American STEM workers who are struggling right now,’ Mehlman said. He contended there is no evidence that there is any shortage of STEM workers in the United States.”